January 2005

serving the community since 1945

2990 South Bayshore Drive Miami, FL 33133 (305) 444-4571 cgsc.org

(continued on 3)

Your input is needed... The Board of Directorshas committed to develop a five year plan forthe club based on input from the membership,

community and the City of Miami. Consistent with

Our Five Year Planour charter and purpose, the plan will have thefollowing three focus areas: (1) Promoting the Sportof Sailing, (2) Community Service, and (3)Environmental Awareness.

2004-2005 Officersand Committee

Chairmen

COMMODORE'S REPORT

Club Manager - Scott Salzberg

2

Flag OfficersCommodore ........................ Jack Hamm

Commodore@cgsc.orgVice Commodore ...... Vladimir Stroleny

ViceCommodore@cgsc.orgRear Commodore .................... Jim Clark

RearCommodore@cgsc.orgSecretary ............................. Marc Buller

Secretary@cgsc.orgTreasurer .......................... Jeff Zirulnick

Treasurer@cgsc.orgFleet Officers

Fleet Captain ........................Wil BourneFleet Chaplain ............. Calvin SchofieldFleet Surgeon .. Dr. Nicolaus Martens

Board MembersGonzalo Bellini Jonathan MilleySteve Hatch Ann PlattSteve Hawkins Bud Price, PCMike Lovelady Charles RahnNick Martens Steve Yavner

Committee ChairmenAdult Sailing ..................... Richard CrislerBBYRA Rep ......................... David KurtzBy-Laws .... Mike Weber/Andrea StringosC-Gulls ............................ Krisan LambertiChamber of Commerce.. ............. Ann PlattChannel Editor ................ Cherie BranningCommunity Outreach ............ Cathy BullerCruising&Rendezvous ......... Janice PruettEntertainment .............. Dominic Lamberti/.............................................. Tom Malone

Executive ............................... Jack HammFinance ................................. Jaime RamonFuture Development ................. Bud PriceHouse .............................. Patrick McCannJr. Prams ......................... Chiquita RamonJr. Racing Development ............ Joe LoganMarine Council ....................... Rick RahmMembership ...................... Richard CrislerMoorings ............................... Bill BeaversOrange Bowl Regatta ......... Art AuwaerterProperty ....................... Vladimir StrolenyProtocol .............................. Larry WhipplePublic Relations ............ Mike Lovelady &............................................. Steve Yavner

Race ............ Wil Bourne & Ron RostorferRack ................................... Paul LombardStrip .................................. Steve HawkinsWeb Master ..................... Beth Hernandez

Volume 60 Issue 5

Jack Hamm, Commodore

Happy New Year to our membership! This will be avery exciting year for our sailing club as we willbe celebrating our 60-year anniversary at the

same time the Master Planning process is expected tocommence. Over the past year, we have made numerousimprovements that will help secure our future in providingsailing programs and affordable access to the Bay. One of our more dramatic changes this year wasopening the doors to our neighbours with the introductionof the Social Membership. This membership providesthe opportunity for City of Miami residents to enjoy theclub at a lower cost with limited entitlements. During the Special Meeting held inNovember, the General Membership approved this measure under an unanimousvote. In addition, we have grown our outreach programs to include a partnershipwith the Miami Dade School System. These changes have sent a strong messageto our friends at City Hall that Coconut Grove Sailing Club is committed to makinga positive difference in the community. And it is great to see the positive press. In regard to the Lease Update, there has been no change in status since lastmonth’s report. However, we do expect SASAKI to be awarded the Master Plancontract. After the contract is awarded, the plan will develop in a rapid fashion soit is very important our membership to stay engaged in the process. The GeneralMeetings serve well for this purpose – please make plans to regularly attend themeetings in the future. The overall financial performance of the club continues to be strong as we areahead of budget. However, we received an unexpected high property tax bill. Asimilar situation occurred several years ago where the club sought the assistancetax law experts of Greenburg and Traurig in defending our case. We will follow thesame course of action with the help of former Commodore/Lawyer, Mike Weber,who will coordinate this effort. His help is truly appreciated. In regard to the Treasurer position, once again Jeff Zirulnick has answered thecall to duty. Jeff served the club well during the last two years and I am verypleased that he will be rejoining the Bridge again. We are continuing our focus onimproving the financial performance of the kitchen and to reduce labour costs.We are also planning to have an outside accounting firm review our accounting/inventory practices. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Bud Price for improving the boathandling skills of our dockstaff. Bud put the dockstaff through a weekend coursewhere they trained on proper outboard engine control, maintenance and towingskills. Speaking for the members with boats on the moorings, this training is muchappreciated. Please thank Bud for his efforts. Our new Dockmaster, Ami Modlin,is now challenged with setting up a new certification program where the dockstaffwill be promoted after mastering required skills.

The Coconut Grove Sailing Foundation was founded by a group of clubmembers with the purpose of supporting sailing programs on Biscayne Bay. Ifyou make an annual United Way donation, you may wish to designate it onbehalf of the Coconut Grove Sailing Foundation. The Coconut Grove Sailing Foundation is a charitable organization pursuantto Sec 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Tax ID EIN#65-107-3893, FLregistration Number 12776. P.O. Box 331835, Coconut Grove, FL 33233-1835

Jack Hamm

Support the Coconut Grove Sailing Foundation with yourUnited Way Contribution

5 Yr. Plan cont. from 1

A draft plan has been developedand is currently under review by theBoard Directors. After the review iscomplete, the plan will then bepresented in detail during theJanuary General MembershipMeeting where we hope to gain yourinput. The plan will then be updatedonce a year using the followingprocess: This planning process will beincorporated into the Bylaws in thesimilar manner as the yearly budgetand, as such, will require a vote ofapproval from the generalmembership. It will then be theresponsibility of the Bridge to carry-out the approved plan for the currentyear and work on the details for thefollowing year. The intention is toensure that the stakeholders(including our leadership) have aclear understanding of the club goals and to provideconsistency in our operations on a year-to-year basis. Thisstrategy is used by many not-for-profit organizations. Presentations regarding the development of the 5-yearplan have already been made to the Village Council andthe Waterfront Advisory Board and have been well received.We will also seek input from the various communityorganizations including: the One Grove Alliance, the Qualityof Life Committee, the Rotary Club, the Women’s Club, theWest Grove Home Owners, and our fellow yacht clubs.This is an ambitious project but will be for the bettermentof the club and the community. In consideration of the 5-year plan and the start of anew year, it is a good time to review our accomplishmentsfor last year and our goals for this year:

2004 Major Accomplishments1. Doubled membership to > 850 (2/3 City of Miami

Residents)

2. Ran successful Sailing Programs- Taught 400 kids + 60 free to underprivileged children- Provided adult sailing lessons to non-members (at

least one weekend per month)- Developed Laser and Optimist Racing Teams- Supported BBYRA with race committee

3.Outreach programs- Virrick Pool Program- Marine Science Academy- After School Programs

4.Community Services- Townhall meeting room for community organizations- Care for surrounding parks- Clean-up efforts (Baynanza/Hands on Miami)

5. Capital Improvements- Rebuilt main dock- Replaced dingy dock- Replaced restaurant equipment

2005 Goals and Objectives1. Grow membership to > 1,000 members

2. Celebrate 60year Anniversary (throw a party for theCommunity for supporting the club)

3. Grow Sailing Programs- Provide > 100 free sailing lessons- Optimist and Laser Teams to compete on a national

level- Partner with the City on a Summer Camp Program- Attract two new large regattas- Introduce member boat loan program

4. Community Services/Environmental Awareness- Increase usage of Ballroom as townhall meeting room- Care for surrounding parks- Increase clean-up efforts- Sponsor Biscayne Bay Lecture Series- Obtain Clean Marina Certification

5. Capital Improvements- Replace the roof- Paint and change the look of the club

Please provide any input you may have to Board of Directorsor at the January General Membership Meeting.

4

VICE COMMODORE’S REPORT

Vladimir Stroleny, Vice Commodore

hope this year the city will give us a new lease/management agreement and allow us to stay at the currentlocation. With all the programs taking place at the club,

everyone is spending a lot of hours making our club looknice. This one little acre sure is being used by a lot of City ofMiami residents. So once again, if you want to help, pleasecome down to the club and volunteer.

The pilings for the dingy dock have been put in and with thehelp of volunteers the dock is beginning to look really sharp.Some of the club engines are having problems and the olderones will have to be replaced. We are looking into replacingthe metal ramp to the launch area. The hedges towards

Bayshore Drive have been lowered.The roof is still an issue and we aregetting estimates to replace it. The staffis trying to keep the grounds clean, butwe all should help them out by puttingtrash where it belongs.

So with all the new additions,improvements and if the city gives us a new lease/managementagreement, this should be a great year for the Sailing Cluband the City of Miami.

SECRETARY’S REPORT

Marc Buller, Secretary

It’s the dawn of a New Year and I feel great !!! The Clubhad a good year:

New Sailing Programs: Green Fleet is back, Lasers are onthe water and the Marine Science Academy is off to a goodstart.New members: people are joining and the Socialmembership was approved !New Rendezvous: everyone seems to enjoy the Fridayevening dockside rendezvous.New Docks: the Club looks great and I can’t wait for thenew roof.

All in all it was a good year. Wesurvived a historic number ofstorms and engaged the City in ameaningful dialogue. The Boardwishes the best for you and yourfamilies and with your help, we canhave another successful year in2005.

Happy sailing,

The Coconut Grove Sailing Club is proud to announcethat a high-level US Sailing certification course will be heldat the Club, just prior to the US Sailing National SailingPrograms Symposium. The “Small Boat Sailing Level 1Instructor Trainer Course” will be conducted January 9-12.Instructor Trainer courses train professional teachers/sailinginstructors in the methods and theories of the US SAILINGInstructor Training Program. The course provides InstructorTrainers with the tools, information and candidates areexpected to be highly qualified sailing experts with severalyears teaching experience and hold appropriate current USSAILING instructor certification. These intensive 4-dayInstructor Trainer courses include the following: evaluationof communication and interpersonal skills, practical sailingand safety boat skills evaluations, team building techniques,sports techniques, video feedback on teaching styles, lesson/program planning, record-keeping, etc. Instructor trainercourses are available in Small Boat Sailing, Small BoatRacing, Windsurfing, and Basic Keelboat.

Help YourClub at theN a t i o n a lS a i l i n g

P r o g r a m sSymposium! This national event is comingto Miami on January12-16,2005, and weneed YOU! The Symposium is the premierevent for sailing education in the UnitedStates, bringing together the very bestpeople and resources in instruction,program operation, equipment andmore.See: http://www.ussailing.org/training/nsps/ for details, or writeor call Jim Clark-rearcommdore@cgsc.org/786-317-1342.

Sailing Instructor Course

REAR COMMODORE’S REPORT

Jim Clark, Rear Commodore

It’s the beginning of a new year, when many of us resolve todo things differently. Some vow to excercise more or eatbetter, some to be better people. During this past year, your

Club has indeed done things “differently”, and you have seenthe positive changes inside and outside of the Club. Still, wehave a long course in front of us, and we need your help. Let’stake a look at some of the changes and improvements made,and some of the new initiatives.

Marine Science AcademyThe most notable addition to our sailing program offerings, is amajor partnership with the Miami-Dade County Public School’sDivision of Life Skills and Special Projects. Dr. Jayne Greenbergwas instrumental in bringing this program to the CGSC (with aspecial thanks to member Deborah Mitchell!). Dr. Jayneattended a meeting last month in Washington, D.C. at whichour MSA was recognized by the US Dept. of Health and HumanServices Office of Disability in support of the “I Can Do It, YouCan Do It” campaign. For more information on this program,please visit: http://www.hhs.gov/od/physicalfitness.html.

Dr. Greenberg recently said the Coconut Grove Sailing Clubcan look forward to more great things happening with thispartnership, and that it “... has moved the Marine ScienceAcademy further in such a short amount of time then I evercould have imagined”. She also praised our staff and facilities,saying that CGSC “..staff and administration has beenoutstanding working with our students...(and the) teachers reallyenjoy going out there & working with Britt”.

Of the six MSA classes held so far at the CGSC - two of themwere “kayaking adventures” with disabled children from NorthMiami Beach Senior high school participating. The brand-newAccess dinghys should arrive this month, which make it mucheasier for these kids to sail, as these boats are made specificallyfor their needs.

Of course, your Flag Officers have been more than happy toensure that the public is aware of this great program, and haveintroduced it to the City of Miami Waterfront Advisory Board,the Coconut Grove Village Council, the Miami Power Squadron,and the Rotary Club. Another feature article should appearsoon in the Miami Herald, so watch for it!

I would like to welcome South Miami High School to the CGSC,as their students will attend the first MSA class of ’05 this month.Another welcome is extended to Miami Mayor Manny Diaz’Education Specialist Lisa Martinez, as she is scheduled toobserve this class. By this spring, we’re slated to have 9 schoolsacross Miami-Dade County participating in the MSA. If you orsomeone you know would like to do a presentation to thestudents on a marine science or related career possibilities,please contact Britt Price.

CGSC Laser Racing TeamJose Hernandez continues to do an outstanding job developingthis program. The Club will be pitching in as mentioned lastmonth, as we plan to re-build the racks located in the southeastcorner of the property. Kids who are active with our Laser Racing

Team will be offered a discounted rate(consistent with prices charged at otherClubs around Biscayne Bay) to storetheir boats in the new racks.

US Sailing Race Management SeminarOn Saturday, January 8th we will host aseminar which is instrumental inobtaining certification as a Club RaceOfficer with US Sailing. The obvious candidates are our RaceCommittee members, but this seminar should be attended byanyone who participates in BBYRA races. US Sailing does providepersonal regatta liability insurance to certified CRO’s. Anyonewho has attended a Race Management seminar in the past, shouldtake this course again, as there are changes in the Racing Rulesof Sailing that will be included. The cost is $25, and will includea light breakfast, and lunch. The topics covered include: RCobjectives, competition formats, sailing instructions, RC jobs, RCequipment, race day preparations, setting the course, starts,during the race, finishing, post-race RC responsibilities andscoring.

At the completion of the seminar, an optional test will be given tothose interested in obtaining a US SAILING Race Officercertification as a Club Race Officer. In order to be certified as aClub Race Officer you will also need to have your own copy ofthe current US Sailing Race Management Handbook, and meetthe program’s other criteria

Future Program DevelopmentWe have some more exciting possiblities coming up to help oursailing programs grow, including a collaboration to bring in grantfunds with the Cocount Grove Sailing Foundation this year. TheCGSF has agreed to work with the CGSC on possible grantswhich would improve our ability and resources in delivering oursailing programs.

As always, I want to remind all of members that your participationis vital to the Coconut Grove Sailing Club being able to continue.This month we are participating in a national sailing event I’vementioned over the past months, the US Sailing National SailingPrograms Symposium. This is an excellent opportunity to helpYOUR Club in a very visible, important way. Regsitrationvolunteers are needed and Hosts for days when NSPS participantswill be touring the CGSC are needed. Please contact me or BrittPrice if you have suggestions on these or other ways you mightbe able to help.

Watch for CGSC sailing program updates to the Coconut GroveVillage Council, Waterfront Advisory Board and other communityorganizations in future months, so the public can better understandwhat we’re doing to improve the CGSC and the community.

Happy New Year!

Fair Winds,

6

In spite of the Hurricanes this year, the LaserTeam had a great Fall Session, with practices on Sept18, Oct 2, 9,10, and 31, Nov 6, 7, and 21, Dec 4 and 12. Only the Sept 26 practice had to be re-scheduled due toHurricane Jeanne. The Oct 31 practice provided a newpractice attendance record, with 24 Laser Sailorsparticipating. Sailors from the group also participated in variousregattas during this session, including the Florida StateSnipe Junior Championships at CGSC (race results areposted on the CGSC website), and the SAISA High SchoolSinglehanded Qualifier (Cressy)held in Clearwater. Specialcongratulations go to Alex Raveloand David Hernandez for theirresults in the SAISA CressyQualifier. They, along with PaigeRailey and Chris Enger fromFlorida’s west coast,qualified to represent theSAISA High School District atthe Cressy National Regatta,held this year in Minnesotathe weekend of October 16thand 17th (with snow and iceto greet the participants - it’sgreat to live in South Floridaand NOT in Minnesota!!!!). Other regattas includedthe Florida State LaserChampionships in FortMyers on October 16 - 17, the Miami Yacht Club FallHarvest Regatta on October 23 - 24, the Naples CupRegatta on November 13 -14, and the Davis Island/LaserDistrict 13 Championship on November 27 - 28. Upcoming events include the Pre-Orange BowlRegatta Laser Clinic at CGSC with Coaches Brett Davisand Brad Funk on December 18 - 20, the Orange BowlYouth and Adult Regattas (at CRYC and CGSCrespectively) on December 27 - 30 (as of December 14,pre-registration shows atotal of over 160 LaserSailors registered for thisyear’s OB Youth event -compared to last year’srecord number of 113Laser Sailors), the MartinCounty Junior OlympicFestival on January 15 -

17, and finally the Lauderdale Yacht Club BoomerangRegatta on January 29 - 30. Thanks to the work party on Saturday, Nov 20, thesailors now can enjoy the new carpeted dolly stops alongthe edge of the entire new CGSC floating dock. It makeslaunching and retrieving the boats much easier!!! Thanksto the following volunteers that made this work party asuccess: Philip and Dr. David Alley, Michelle Davis, TJ

and Paul Merker, HenkMilne, and David andJose Hernandez. Thanksalso to CGSC and Tom forhaving the materials readyat the club for us to use. Finally, A VERYSPECIAL THANKS to theCoconut Grove

Foundation for their donation of 2 Laser 4.7 sails and3 Laser 4.7 mast lower sections to the CGSC Laser

Racing Team. This donation will allow thelighter Laser sailors to participate in theprogram, especially now as the cold frontscome through with increased winds. For more information on the LaserRacing Team, please contact JoseHernandez at (305) 271-0148 home phoneor (305) 322-2701 cell phone.

CGSC Laser Team Continues to Grow

Thanksgiving day began with clouds and rain, anunlikely start for the annual Thanksgiving day

rendezvous.H o w e v e r ,about noon,the sun cameout in time fora spectacularsail to ElliotKey onThanksgivingDay. Ani n t i m a t egathering ofh a r d ysailing clubm e m b e r se n j o y e dturkey andall thet r immingsi n c l u d i n gp u m p k i npie, and ice creamgraciously provided by BillBraddon, while the moonappeared over the bay. While a rough night with northwinds followed, it was well worth the trip, as Friday wasa beautiful day. Many thanks to Gasby for driving thelaunch and delivering the turkeys and gravy throughchoppy seas.

The Beautiful Beneteau’s (B B’s)Dockside Rendezvous provided a festive addition to theholiday party held on Saturday December 3rd. We hadvisitors from the Beneteau Club as well as our own club’s

boats. This hasbeen the highlightof our docksiderendezvous’ – allthe boats wereU n b e l i e v a b l yBeautiful! Thanksto all who broughttheir boats to the docks! The club has found a new partyspot with a beautiful view. TheMarine Stadium Rendezvous,held on Saturday December 11,was a short sail from the club to avery well-protected anchorage.Following hors-d’oeuvres at theraft-up, we took a short dinghy ride to the nearby onshoreBayside Hut, where we met members from the club whomotored (car) over for dinner. Bar service was providedby a very friendly and familiar bartender (Alex). Somemembers – who shall remain nameless - partied long intothe night at our raft-up anchorage. Sunday morningbrought crispy cool weather and a north wind for our quicksail home, as we traveled back to the club. Our January rendezvous will take place at the MiamiYacht Club on Saturday the 22nd. This easy trip northaffords an excellent anchorage, a great view of the cityskyline and a raft up and dinner at the club. Like the marinestadium rendezvous, this trip offers an opportunity formembers to drive over and meet us for the raft up anddinner should you not want to sail (we will provide dinghyservice to and from shore!). Check the postings at theclub for more information. In January we will begin our initial planning for theCrossing the Gulf Stream Rendezvous to be heldMemorial Day Weekend. Joe Logan, and Jennifer Wirthhave agreed to host this event and provide training andguidance for first timers crossing the stream (Requiredreading includes Hemingway’s “Islands in the Stream”).Joe and Jennifer will conduct preparatory workshops onpreparing your boat, weather and navigation. Sign up earlyso that you will be well-prepared for this exciting event.Contact Janice or Alyn at 305-441-2733 or emailjbpmom@aol.com.

Happy New YearJanice Pruett

Rendezvous Committee Report

Elliot Key

Thanksgiving

Marine

Stadium

Rendezvous

Beneteau Dockside

If you have a used Opti you would like to sell, please contact Britt Price (305) 444-4571. Wehave several families interested in buying an Opti, so please call!

“We Need Opti’s!”

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Youth SailingBritt Price, Sailing Director

Youth Sailing ProgramsOur Youth Sailing Programs continue to grow, and as a result,we need help! If you can donate some of your time, you’re sureto be rewarded by watching the progress of children who learnto sail, and race. We need volunteers for both Learn-To-Sailand Jr. Racing, so please call or write if you’re interested.

Learn to Sail Learn-To-Sail classes last month experienced some interestingweather. We saw light winds, heavy air and everything inbetween. Mike Abell, our instructor, was able to provide the kidsmany different courses, along with sailing on the Bay. Classeswill continue to run until June every Saturday with two classesper day. The costs of the classes are $75 for three sessions.For more information please contact Britt Price at 305-444-4571ext. 11 or britt@cgsc.org.

Level 1 (Beginner) Level2 (Intermediate)Jan. 8, 15, & 22nd Jan. 8, 15, & 22nd

9:00-12:00pm 1:00-4:00pm

February 5, 12, & 19th February 5, 12, & 19th

1:00-4:00pm 9:00- 12:00pm

March 5, 12 & 19th March 5, 12, &19th

9:00-12:00pm 1:00-4:00pm

Spring Break Mini Camp--------March 21st - 25th

9:00 - 4:00pm

Marine Science Academy We had a great time in the last couple of classes before winterbreak. We held our last “welcome to the club” class with thecapsize drill. The kids also were taught parts of the boat, knotsand rigging. This was a great hands-on day, accompanied bylight winds and lots of sunshine. The children also experienceda Marine Biology lesson with our local bottom dwelling jellyfish,Sarcasm seaweed, and even a Barracuda! In the future, we willbe teaching the fundamentals of sailing and about the watersaround us. Miami Mayor Diaz’ Education Specialist will observeour first class this month, to examine possible partnerships withthe City.

Green Fleet The whole team prepared for the Orange Bowl Regatta for sometime. They practiced every weekend and were getting hyped upfor the winter break. In Green Fleet terms this means Sailing,Sailing, Sailing! CJ Abell has been working on tactics, findingthe “windy” part of the course and sail trim. If you have neverexplored Biscayne Bay around the time of the Orange Bowlregatta there are at least 200 kids in each fleet. It is such a greatexperience for our fleet, to see there are kids from all over theworld who love to sail as much as they do. Next month I will givethe juicy details on the regatta itself. St. Stephens After School We had the traditional end of year party with our after schoolprograms this year. Thanks to Bud Price for extending hishospitality his boat, Trekka. The kids had an ice cream party

followed by a sail around Biscayne Bay on Trekka (a 36’ Morgan).Every child was able to drive the boat, raise the sails, trim thesails, and become “rail meat”! Thanks to the help of the St.Stephen’s helpers, Coach Booth, Coach Katherine and CoachDonna, the kids got to see what lives inside the Sarcasmseaweed, and hang out down below in the cockpit. All the kidsenjoyed the idea of a downstairs with a bathroom! I look forwardto many more adventures with them in the future. St. Stephens’After School Program donated the Christmas Tree for theClub this Year! Thank You!

Power Boat ClassThe Club would like to give a special thanks to Past CommodoreBud Price for taking time out of his busy schedule last month tosharpen our skills. He held a one-day class to “fine tune” ourmotorboat and towing skills. The Dock Staff along with theDockmaster, spent classroom time on proper towing, knots, andboat handling. Then it was time to “hit the water” and practicewhat they were taught. We are trying to incorporate a class forthe dock staff to continue learning more and helping serve usbetter. Thanks Again!

Race Management SeminarSpeaking of classroom time, the CGSC hosts a US Sailing RaceManagement Seminar on Saturday, January 8th (0800-1800 hrs.). The topics covered include: RC objectives, competition formats,sailing instructions, RC jobs, RC equipment, race daypreparations, setting the course, starts, during the race, finishing,post-race RC responsibilities and scoring. At the completion ofthe seminar, an optional test will be given to those interested inobtaining a US SAILING Race Officer certification as a Club RaceOfficer. The seminar fee will be $25, which includes continentalbreakfast, and seminar materials. Pre-registration is required.The registration fee will be waived for CGSC members, soeveryone who is involved in racing around the Club should attend!

Special Thanks The Coconut Grove Sailing Foundation donated an Optimist to theGreen Fleet last month. They are working hard to help get our OptimistRacing Team new boats. This has allowed us to retire our oldest boat,and use it for Learn to Sail classes only. Along with the boat wereceived, two racing sails, two sets of spars, several blades, & a teamof smiling kids!

Ransom Middle After SchoolThis year’s Ransom Middle Sailing Club has become verypopular. We have 20 kids enrolled. Our end of the year partywas a blast. All the kids dressed up in Pirate and Sailor costumesfor their Yearbook pictures. Then after that they sailed, kayaked,and used the surf bike. They had a great time cruising aroundand sailing to the upper school. After all the boats were put awayand cleaned up, we had a little party with food and drinks. Theywill start up again in January and continue exploring the Bayand the world of Sailing!

This has been a great month for the Youth Racing Optimist Team.Several members are cleaning out their garages, and donating boatingitems to the programs. Mr. And Mrs. Abell, Mr. Timmons, and Mrs.

Ryan-Young, have all stopped by to drop off extra life jackets, blades,boots, and wind pendants for the programs. With all this support, I wasreally in the “holiday spirit”. Last but certainly not least Mr. DonBailey donated an Ensign to the club. This means we are working onincorporating keelboat lessons. Thank you Don!

If you or anyone you know is interested in learning to sail, please giveus a call or write - the sooner you do, the faster you’ll be out on thewater, enjoying the beautiful waters of Biscayne Bay!

Social Membership ForCity of Miami Residents

is available for only $50.00.

This membership is validJan. 1 through Dec 31, 2005.

Call the CGSC office for details.

305-444-4571 x10

Thursday11:00am – 8:00pm

Friday & Saturday11:00am- 9:00pm

Sunday

11:00am – 8:00pm

Kitchen Hours

Ransom MiddleSchool SailingClub studentsenjoy sailing,bikinbg andkayaking at theCGSC afterschool program.

I recently had a sailing experience that was different from any Ihad ever had before. I had done quite a lot of sailing offshore,but always it was in an ocean race with a full crew or deliveringthe boat back to it’s home port after the race with a deliverycrew. There was always a tight time schedule involved. Sowhen I received an invitation to do some real cruising on a realcruising boat I jumped at the chance. My good friends Tito &Roberta were sailing their 43 foot sloop “Alleluia” from Miami tothe Caribbean where they were planning to spend several yearscruising. They were looking for someone to help them sail fromGeorgetown in the Bahamas to Puerto Rico where they wouldspend a couple of months before continuing on their way. Thiswas my chance to find out what it was like to really go cruising. I jumped on an airplane and flew down to Georgetown,Bahamas. I met Tito on the dock and we motored in his dingyout to “Alleluia”, which was anchored on the other side of thesound. I learned that they had been waiting for some time for a“weather window”, (more about weather windows later) and itlooked as though we would be able to leave in about 3 days.Tito explained to me that we would be following a path describedin a book written by Bruce Van Sant. This route is affectionatelyknown to sailors as the “Thorny Path” and basically consists ofsailing to the Caribbean by making stops along the way at justabout every harbor known to man. The forecast turned out tobe correct and we left Georgetown and sailed ... correction...motor sailed east. In the days that followed we were alwaysmotor sailing either east or south depending upon whether wehad to go east or south. It was easy to determine which way wehad to go, all you had to do was to go up on deck and see whichway the wind was blowing, if it was blowing from the east wehad to go east, if it was blowing from the south we had to gosouth, simple. As a matter of fact, when cruising on a sailboatthis is an absolutely 100% foolproof method. We visited such exotic ports as Rum Cay, (named for the cargoof an old ship that was wrecked there), Mayaguana, (named forthe cargo of an old ship that was wrecked there), and AmbrgrisCays, (named for the cargo of an old ship that was wreckedthere). My favorite port that we visited, (possibly because therewere actually other people there) was Luperon. Luperon is onthe north coast of the Dominican Republic, it is a very activelittle fishing village that the sailboat cruising community, (moreabout them later) discovered a few years ago. It was originallydiscovered in 1492 by Martin Pinzon, the master of the Pintawho named the bay at Luperon Bahia Blanca which is kind ofironic since it is anything but white today. Anyway Columbuscaught up to the Pinta when he found her anchored in theentrance to the bay. Columbus wasn’t too happy with old Martinwho had split and went off on his own, I suppose in search ofindividual glory. Luperon is what the cruising community, (more about themlater) call a “Dollar Friendly Port”. A “Dollar Friendly Port” is anyport which has an extremely favorable exchange rate betweenthe local currency and the U.S. dollar. The cruising communityloves “Dollar Friendly Ports.” In Luperon the currency is calledthe Peso. When we were there the exchange rate was 22,249:1. You could have a nice dinner for two including drinks for 250pesos which in dollars amounted to ... well you do the math. Luperon is a village that time seems to have forgotten. Thisis in part due to the fact that no one has either arrived or leftLuperon by land in the last 71 years. This is because aside from

A Little Sailing Storythe mountains which are quite formidable, anyone who tries toleave is immediately run down by the buses ferrying drunkenGerman tourists from the self contained resorts just to the westof Luperon to Puerto Plata which is 30 miles to the east. Although Luperon has a very beautiful and protected harborand the people are extremely friendly, there are a few minorinconveniences for the cruising sailor. One of these is that thewater in the harbor is not very clean. It is a well known fact inthe cruising community that if just one drop of the harbor watertouches your skin you will shrivel up and die in about 5 seconds.This makes for very careful dingy rides between the boatsanchored in the harbor and the town dock. Another minorinconvenience is the nature of the bottom, while the holding isadequate the problem comes when you raise your anchor. Ifyou stay anchored for more than about 10 minutes your chaincomes up caked with the nastiest, gooiest, crudyest, yuckiest,stickiest stuff that you can ever imagine. If you don’t clean thisstuff off as your chain comes in it will jam up your anchor windless.Given that it takes about one hour per foot of chain to get it off itmeans that if you anchor with the recommended amount of scopeyou must start to raise your anchor 3 or 4 days before you actuallywant to leave. Now a little bit about the cruising community. Typically thesecruisers are middle age couples who are either married ordivorced, who have sold all their earthly possessions, (in somecases even their children) in order to purchase & outfit a cruisingsailboat so that they can pursue their life-long dream of cruisingthe Caribbean. Most of these couples exist on meager fixedincomes such as Social Security disability payments or frominsufficient investments. If you ask these people how they likeliving on their boats a typical answer will be something like this:“we hate it, can barely stand it, but we have no choice becausewe can’t find anyone who will buy the boat & we can’t afford tolive on land unless we go back to (blank).” Now they don’t actuallysay “blank” their voice just kind of trails away. This is because inthe cruising community there is one four letter word that isabsolutely, positively, unequivocally verboten, and that word is“work”. Now you may be asking yourself, “What do these cruisers doall day?” The answer is that they look for “weather windows”. A“weather window” is a period of time during which the wind speed,wind direction, currents, tides, sea state, swell direction, swellheight, position of the sun, moon & planets all combine in such away that the chances of meeting any uncomfortable conditionsin the region they wish to go is virtually nil. Unfortunately, thechances of all these factors combining in such a way is virtuallynil. Still, no matter how long it takes, the cruising sailor will notleave port until there is a sufficient weather window. In order toidentify these weather windows the cruising community usesmany different sources of information. They all have singlesideband radios so they can get advise from David in themourning and Herb in the afternoon, receive weather faxes, getoffshore buoy reports, listen to Whiskey Oscar Mike for theoffshore weather reports, listen to cruiseheimers & various othermaritime nets and on and on and on. This takes up about 80%of their time. The rest of their time they spend looking for dieselfuel, water, ice and cheap rum. Cruisers are very sociable people, they love to talk to eachother, and whenever they do the subject inevitably turns to thepossibility of a weather window opening up. Such a possibility

10

Race Committee

Wow! Whatta regatta! CGSC hosted the annualsoutheast Florida PHRF Championship Regatta onNovember 20-21, 2004. Over 30 boats raced in idealconditions, with steady easterly winds of about 12 knotsSaturday and 6-8 knots on Sunday. There were four classessailing, PHRF 1-3 and J-24. Two races were conducted onSaturday, and the final race, a three-lap windward-leewardcourse, was sailed Sunday. The PHRF 1 Class wasthe largest, with 11 boats onthe starting line. StuartHebb’s Thin Ice, an Aerodyne38 from Coral Reef YCrecovered from a fifth placein the first race to win theremaining races. Thiswas more than goodenough to win theRegatta in PHRF 1, ashe had a four pointmargin over MostlyHarmless sailed byChris Woolsey, whocompiled a 1-2-8 series.Tom Seghi’s GroupTherapy was third, withfinishes of 3-9-2. Consistency was hardto find in this competitive fleet. Six boats sailed in the PHRF 2Class. The winner was Craig Setzer,who sailed Mistral, a Beneteau 35s5from Miami Yacht Club to a 3-1-2 series.That was good for a very tight one-pointwin over Tiburon which was sailed byArt Perez to a 2-4-1 series. Pat Cacace had a very goodregatta going with a 1-2 record on Saturday, but a DSQ onSunday dropped Black Bird to third place for the Regatta. In PHRF 3, Russ Horn’s Mild 2 Wild, a Morgan 27 fromthe CGSC ran off and hid from the fleet with a 1-1-2 series.That was four points better than Jaime & Vicki Topp’sTouchstone which had a very respectable 3-2-3 series forsecond in class. Rick Jurchow’s Détente had a 2-3-4 seriesto come in one point behind in third. Finally, the six boat J-24 Class saw very close racing

CGSC HOSTS SE FLORIDA PHRF CHAMPIONSHIPSwith three points separating the top three boats. The winnerwas Lacalaca sailed by Iker Belaustewigoitia from the USSailing Center to a consistent 2-2-2 series. Pick Up Sticks,sailed by Jonathan Luscomb was one point back in secondwith a 3-1-3 series followed by Sean Brown in Geronimo’sCadillac who posted a 1-4-4 series for third in class.

The overall victory inthe PHRF fleet went toThin Ice. The PHRF3/J24went to Mild to Wild. Scott and crew put ona fine dinner Saturdaynight which was wellattended by members andcompetitors. We had greatsponsors for this event,

including Gosling’sRum, West Marineand Banks Sails andRigging Systems.Regatta ChairmanDave Kurtz providedtrophies five deep ineach class. That plusthe free offerings fromGosling’s yielded abig crowd for the

trophy ceremony on the upperdeck of the club Sundayafternoon. CGSC’s Race Committee didan outstanding job running theregatta. Principal Race Officer ArtAuwaerter did a terrific job of on-

the-water race management, and we are indebted to CharlieBranning for providing Upside as the Signal Boat. RaceCommittee crew on Upside included Art, Charlie, MarvinSchenker, Vicki Rosenbloom, Jo-An Pszenny, JeanneBunten and Carl Opdyke. The Mark Boat crew consisted ofAl Chapin and Tricia Reeder, and Dottie & Ron Rostorferwere the Pin Boat crew. Rick Rahm did the scoring, whileJane Ann Pincus and Mike Weber served as ProtestCommittee Chairmen on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

continued from 10-”Sailing Story”

can cause substantial stress in the community because it meansthat they might actually have to leave port. A typical conversationmight go as follows: Sailor A: Did you listen to David this mourning? He seems tothink that a window may open later this week. Sailor B: I did, but the offshore report has a full gale formingoff Nova Scotia which means that we will probably get somesubstantial northerly swell by Thursday and you know what Brucesays about northerly swells. Sailor A: I sure do, it sounds like we have a “no go” situationfor at least another week.

Sailor B: Yup, definitely a “no go” situation.Thus reassured, they can go about their other business securein the knowledge that they will not have to move.

Alas while in Luperon my allotted time for sailing with Tito &Roberta ran out, so I never made it to Puerto Rico. I was verysad to leave them and also to part with the many friends I madealong the way. If any of you are reading this I hope you canchuckle at my tongue-in-cheek observations. Actually, I admireyou very much, and so fair winds and smooth seas until wemeet again. I hope you find your weather window.Art Auwaerter

Month 1Sloop, 1964 America Cup Transpac Racer designed forSanFrancisco to Hawaii Racing. 70ft Mast, upgraded rigging.7ft 6 ton Keel, Hull is 30 Ton Mahogany, Beautiful cabin appliedafter racing days, 85 Perkins that provides full hull speed at 11knots. History: Bought by Warner Bros for Movie Lucky Lady WithLisa Manelli, Bert Remolds, Gene Hackman. Key West HyattRegency Charter Boat. Call 305-588-0128

1985 Honda 7.5 HP 4 stroke outboard. Used in fresh water only.$350 Ray Jefferson digital key board VHF with mast top antenna.$40. Call John Degen 954 432 6930

Nine (9) foot 1995 Dinghy (4”6” wide) made of white polypropylenein excellent condition. Comes with O/B wood motor mount andnew oars. Has 9” roller built into transom for easy movement overbeach or dock. Weight 79 lbs. Stable. $250 (firm). Call Dickson9 am to 5 pm at 305 625 5588...

Month 3MY SEAPRIZE – 28 CALIBER 1986. Underwent refitting overpast 3yrs; replaced running rigging, mainsheet hardware, newelectronics ST60 triddata, wind and autopilot, GPS, new mainsailand 130% genoa, lazy jacks with sail cover, bimini, cockpitcushions, new bottom 2004; $21K or best offer, Call Bob Hirsch954 965 5548.

SNIPES FOR SALE OR RENT: Miami Snipe Fleet #7 (Charteredin 1932) Fleet is willing to help the new members to get fast andfurther develop their boat handling, tactical and boat tuning skills.It is a boat for young and old! Call Gonzalo Diaz, Sr. and join theMiami Snipe Fleet. 305-667-0492 (best 8-10PM) Work: 305-702-8526 (best 4-6PM)

Commercial Advertising is available for business use by callingthe Club Office at (305) 444-4571.

CLASSIFIEDS

Classified Advertising Policy Classified advertising is for clubmembers in good standing and is limited to personally owneditems that are for sale. Ads will be run for 3 months and then willbe dropped from the listing, unless the advertiser calls the Editorto renew for another 3 months. A classified ad can be pulled at anytime by calling the Editor at (305) 661-2322.

Deadline: All Ads, articles and pictures for The Channel must bereceived by the 15th of the month. Please send articles and adsas a Word document and pictures as jpeg attachments tocebranning@ or drop off at the Club office, attention CherieBranning, Editor.

14

198? BUCCANEER . 18 Ft One design with planning hull. Fun,racing or family sailing. Includes trailer. Nothing to repair. Readyto go!!!. Includes One jib and one main. Can be easily upgradedwith Spinnaker. Trailer also in very good condition.$ 1,800.ALSO, 198? Snipe 15.5 Ft One design. Ready to go!!. Includesmain, jib and trailer. Fun/Racing. $ 1,400 2002 Mercury O.B. 2.5HP. Less than 10 hours used. Self contained gasoline tank.Excellent toy!!! to install on inflatables, dinghies and canoes. $350 Call Tony 305-588-0084

For Sale - 17' Wellcraft Center Console. 1974 outboard runabout.115 hp Evinrude V-4. Very fast. New control cables, New steeringcable, New bottom paint. Bimini Top, Cockpit lighting, Automaticbilge pump, Anchor and rode, Rod holders, Coast Guard equip.Those familiar with this hull, know it is one of the strongest deepvees built, and know it is also an extremely dry boat due to thewide flare in the bow. $4,000. Call Terry for more info. (305) 858-9150.

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Entertainment CommitteeHoliday Gatherings

The club was ushered into the holiday season in grandstyle last month with two holiday parties in December.

The first was the tree-trimming holiday party on Friday,Dec 3. All those present that night were treated to afantastic Christmas show by The Miamians BarbershopChorus. They sang holiday tunes in 4-part a cappellaharmony to a packed house, many of whom sang alongwith their favorite songs. A fine buffet followed while clubmembers did a great job of decorating the beautifulChristmas tree purchased from our neighbor, St Stephen’sEpiscopal Church. Everyone seemed to get in the holidayspirit that night. Santa treated the children to a visit to the club onSaturday, December 11th. Santa and Mrs. Clause and the

secret Elf arrived by boat as the kidscheered on. The children did somecraft activities and got to sit onSanta’s lap to tell him what theywanted for Christmas. Of course,he gave them a nice gift from hisbig red sack. Many thanks to Krisan

Lamberti for putting that party together. The next party is the annual New Years Eve party. Atpress time, the planning for this party is well underway asmanager Scott and the kitchen staff prepares a fine mealto help us bring in 2005. In February we are going to have a party that shouldappeal to all the lovers in the club. We are going to havea Valentine Party on Saturday, February 12th. This will bea fun filled evening complete with kissing booth and otherromantic antics. Be sure to put this one on your calendar.You’ll hear more about this next month. That’s all for now. If you have any ideasfor a party theme you can contact me at305-740-9200 or dllamberti@aol.com. Theentertainment committeewishes you a wonderfulholiday season and remindsyou to “Keep your sunnyside up”.

Dominic LambertiCo-Chairman,Entertainment Committee

A Glorious

Sunrise at

CGSC